Molecular Biology

Code:

B101

Acronym:

B101

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Biology

Instance: 2011/2012 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Biology
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Biology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L:B	248	Plano de estudos a partir de 2008	1	-	5	49	135
L:CC	0	Plano de estudos de 2008 até 2013/14	3	-	5	49	135
L:F	0	Plano de estudos a partir de 2008	2	-	5	49	135
			3
L:G	0	P.E - estudantes com 1ª matricula anterior a 09/10	3	-	5	49	135
		P.E - estudantes com 1ª matricula em 09/10	3	-	5	49	135
L:M	3	Plano de estudos a partir de 2009	3	-	5	49	135
L:Q	23	Plano de estudos Oficial	3	-	5	49	135

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The discipline of molecular biology aims to give students basic knowledge about the structure, organization and replication of genetic material, the type of information contained in the genome, the mechanisms of transcription and translation, how these processes are regulated, and the structure and function of proteins.
In parallel, and strongly supported by the laboratory component of the course, it also aims to inform and to develop the skills necessary for implementation, analysis and interpretation of results obtained from the use of current molecular biology techniques.

Program

Program - Lecture Sessions
The fundamental structure of the cell and its components.
Structure of nucleotides and nucleic acids. The base-pairing rules of Chargaff. Physicochemical properties of DNA. DNA replication. Mechanisms of DNA repair.

Recombinant DNA technology. Restriction enzymes and DNA ligase. Cloning vectors. Vectors and expression systems. cDNA and genomic libraries. Amplification of DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Types of probes and search of genes in libraries. Southern and Northern blotting. Sequencing techniques. Genome sequencing. Bioinformatics tools for sequence analysis. Analysis of gene expression by microarray techniques. Importance and applications of recombinant DNA technology (GMOs).

Amino acids and proteins. The structural levels of proteins. The principles governing the acquisition of protein conformation and the action of molecular chaperones. Proteins as pathogenic agents: prions. Transcription and translation. Messenger RNA processing. Mechanisms of intron splicing. Regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The universal genetic code. Protein synthesis.

Separation techniques and identification of proteins. Cell fractionation and differential centrifugation. Density gradient centrifugation. Electrophoresis under non-denaturing and denaturing conditions, isoelectric focusing and two-dimensional electrophoresis. Solid phase immunoassays. Mass spectrometry. Gel filtration, ion exchange and affinity chromatography.

Notions of synthetic biology.

Monosaccharides and glycans. Basics of chemical isomerism. Nomenclature of monosaccharides. Cyclic configurations of monosaccharides. Anomers. Derivatives of monosaccharides of biological importance. The glycosidic bond. Disaccharides and polysaccharides. Homo-and heteropolysaccharide. Storage and structural polysaccharides. Proteoglycans. Glycoproteins. Characterization of the activity of Glycosyltransferases.

Practical program
Introduction to basic techniques of molecular biology. Safety rules in the laboratory. Preparation of solutions. Isolation and quantification of DNA. Analysis of DNA cut with restriction enzymes. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Separation of DNA molecules by agarose gel electrophoresis. Production of competent cells and transformation of E. coli with plasmid pGLO. The regulation mechanism of the arabinose operon, and expression of green fluorescent protein in E. coli.

Mandatory literature

000094359. ISBN: 978-0-8153-4106-2

Teaching methods and learning activities

This discipline is organized in two lectures per week, of one hour each, and practical lessons of 1,5 hours per week. However, practical classes are arranged in blocks of three hours every other week.
The lectures are intended for all students attending the course. The presentation of the matters is accompanied by the projection of images that illustrate conveniently oral exposure, and when possible, presentation of educational films. Monitoring of the matters taught in the lectures should be done by consulting literature: textbooks, websites, and carefully selected scientific articles. In relation to the practical classes, it will be provided to students a practical guide containing the experimental procedures and in which are also included the program and the schedule of classes.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	52,50
	Total:	-	0,00

Eligibility for exams

The attendance of at least 75% of practical classes is compulsory

Calculation formula of final grade

2x final exam + 1x pratical evaluation /3

Final exam - minimal grade 8/20

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Lack of attendance of at least 75% of practical classes - mandatory pratical exam

Classification improvement

final exam